Apps in this Guide

You can play like a pro. And you don't even have to lace up your sports shoes.

With the best free iOS sports games, you can build a team, join a league, and compete against players around themore

You can play like a pro. And you don't even have to lace up your sports shoes.

With the best free iOS sports games, you can build a team, join a league, and compete against players around the world.

What are sports apps?

Unlike fan apps like MLB.com, At Bat, or NFL Mobile app, which let you tune into games and catch live game updates, with iOS sports apps, you participate in a game, at least digitally. In Madden NFL Mobile, for example, you're the coach and general manager: You pick your team, draft current players and legends, make transactions, play against friends, or join a league.

What is the difference between free vs. free to play?

With free games, you can download and play the game without cost. While some mobile games are truly free, they often are supported by ads. The alternative to free is free to play, where you get a basic set of players or plays. Then, to add more powerful players, you need to make in-app purchases, which can range from 99 cents to $99.99 per item. Just a few of the top-100 free iOS sports games are free. The others follow the free-to-play, or freemium, model.

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Clifford Colby follows the Mac and Android markets for Download.com. He's been an editor at Peachpit Press and a handful of now-dead computer magazines, including MacWeek, MacUser, and Corporate Computing.